First of all, we would be hard pressed to find an industry where LED lighting won’t find some improvement to make. With reductions in energy consumption and increase in cost effectiveness, it is making business better across the board.
However, each industry has specific lighting requirements that need to be met. Because of the type of product or service they produce or how it is implemented, they have specific circumstances. Think about how photographers need to be in a darkroom at red lights to process their films.
In the steel industry, these demands are more specific because of the often extreme working conditions. Let's take a look at the interesting lighting issues they need to troubleshoot.
The temperature
Steel mills need high temperatures to smelt metals and flatten them. The temperature must be high enough for the chemical composition of the atoms to change so that the raw metal can be melted, cleaned and reformed. This requires a process known as "hot air", its temperature can be as high as 2300 ° F, but they handle the temperature could be as high as 4200 ° F.
This means that your lighting is incredibly hot in the steel mill. Lights need to be very high to stay away from this temperature, which can cause problems.
Because the light is far away, the bulb must be bright enough to work efficiently and safely. Metal halides and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are subject to lumen depreciation. It is as time goes by that the light begins to fade. This means not only that light bulbs need to be changed more frequently, but that there is a danger if workers cannot see normally and continue to work safely. This doesn't always seem to be a problem when the lights are running at 100%.
You can move the lamp closer, but this may cause the lamp to be damaged at extreme temperatures.
Dirt and chemicals
Another major problem with steel plant lighting is dirt and hazardous chemicals as a byproduct of processing. This increases with the heat of the furnace and may damage the light fixtures. Part of it is simply dirt blocking out the light source. However, as dangerous chemical byproducts are added, from binder carbon to fire-resistant ceramic fibers, they can be damaged if the bulb structure is not good enough.
Dangerous replacement of bulb
Another major hazard is the need to replace light bulbs. It's dangerous and expensive. It is impossible to change the bulb while the mill is running. This means that it must be turned off while the task is executing. People who have to change light bulbs because of high and dangerous machinery are also very dangerous. It was expensive because of the loss of business.
Lighting solution
Fortunately, we have OEO solutions in our OEO Edge LED lamps. They are easy to install and cost less to maintain, providing up to 450 watts of power. They have an IP66 rating, which means they are ideal for protecting against solid objects and water that might be used in factories. What's more, for the steel industry, they are highly resistant to corrosion. Moreover, even for these high-power lamps, their cost of ownership is very low.
Check out our product description for more information about saving these incredible durable lighting solutions.